Strange Things
by Deception's Call
Summary: The days and years after the epilogue show the star-crossed lovers battling their inner demons until their final tragic day.


Some say that the Mockingjay is indestructible.

She's not.

You see, as the seconds, minutes and years crept by, the girl with the name of a flower slowly withered. And the boy who had hair as bright as the sun soon turned a silvery grey.

Yes, the war had passed. Panem was at peace. But peace was never welcomed in the lives of the star-crossed lovers.

Every day was a constant struggles, with Peeta's episodes and Katniss' nightmares. Their past never left them alone, nor did they cease.

Though, both of them had helped each other, protected one another just like they were supposed to. Never once did either of them think of living a life without one another. Sure, there were doubts, there were fights, there were tears and numerous restless nights.

Despite this, they learned to move on, twenty or so years had passed before Katniss agreed to children. And so both of their children grew to become as brave and kind as their parents were, they had just as much fire and determination burning in them just like their mother, and a handful of love and compassion just like their father.

Of course they questioned why they would wake up in the middle of the night at the sound of their mothers strained voice and their father's soft whispers. Naturally they question why once in a while, they found their father in a closet or tied to a chair.

Their parents had always replied, "Tick tock."

Like the kids that they were, they were confused by these simple two words. 'Tick tock' is the sound of a clock, what could they possibly mean?

It wasn't until the girl's sixteen year old birthday that they finally understood.

Sixteen years old was the age that the local school would teach about The Hunger Games. The star-crossed lovers had dreaded this day greatly, for it would bring them many questions concerning their involvement. Of course, they're only learning about The Hunger Games right now, once the children turn seventeen is when the District decided to explain to the youths why the 74th Hunger Games was the most memorable yet.

Granted, some already knew.

The girl and the boy certainly noticed the stares and whispers that they would receive whenever they were with their parents in town. Once, twice, possibly even three times they had asked.

Yet again their parents replied simply with, "Tick tock."

Graduation came and passed for both of their children, they both got married to two wonderful people and had their own children. And their children had their own and so forth.

And so the generations were everlasting.

But the star-crossed lovers' demons were everpresent.

With their children gone and at peace, they certainly weren't, they never will be. But they had each other, and that's all that mattered.

It wasn't until one September afternoon that Katniss found out that Peeta was dying.

Of course, she was too, the years had crept up on her, she no longer had a strong body, she could no longer be the huntress that she used to be almost sixty years ago. But she had the memories, and that's all that really mattered.

Peeta had a heart disease, Katniss never remembered its name, she claims that she never wants to remember something so vile.

Peeta would always whisper to Katniss every night after she fell asleep, "Tick tock."

Perhaps it was a reminder to himself that he wasn't going to be around much longer. Or perhaps it was assure both of them that they would reunite once again.

So the seasons came and went, green leaves transformed into red, leaves the colour of the sun froze and then once again became vibrant.

Kind of like a cycle.

But Peeta wasn't getting any better.

Both of them had agreed not to tell their children or grandchildren about their situation, they did not want them to worry. And even though they loved their offsprings greatly, they wanted to spend each other's last moments together, fighting their battles side by side like they always had.

During the duration of the aftermath of the war, people they had come to love and grew apart from moved on. Annie had her son, Gale got married, Johanna obtained a job in the Armed Forces, but Haymitch stayed the same.

Well, maybe he didn't completely stay the same.

Over the course of the last years of his life, he had considered Katniss and Peeta his own children, even going to lengths to celebrate their birthdays together, becoming a godfather and a grandfather to their own children. He would always be their mentor, but in the process he became their father.

It was a great tragedy when he passed away on that dark winter morning.

With their mentor gone, the star-crossed lovers only had themselves and they were perfectly content.

Still, they grieved for their lost companion.

But with death comes freedom, something that both of them had learned in the arena.

So the only good thing that came with the deaths of the people that she had loved was that they were set free.

And she thought about that when Peeta's heart finally stopped beating.

No denying that she was broken. A broken old woman. Her mentally was unstable, she wasn't weak, but the years of stress and nightmares had caught up with her.

The night after Peeta died was the night that the nightmares came back stronger than ever.

With no one to protect her, and not wanting to bother her children, she offered Peeta a small funeral just with family, but naturally the entire District came. She wasn't mad about that, in fact, she found it touching.

But that night she came back to mourn on her own.

Peeta was buried next to his mentor, in the part of the meadow that was not dug up for the mass grave for the District Twelve bombings.

Katniss would be in her house every waking hour, hoping to hear the door shut and to hear his laugh. She wanted to feel his arms encircle her in a hug once again. But she wouldn't have that anymore.

She was alone. Again.

It was two days after the funeral that she visited the woods for the last time.

The sun was setting, and the sky was streaked with fiery colours, a combination of two things that reminded her of Peeta and herself. Her fire, and his favourite colour.

She sobbed until the tears came no more.

Then she did something that she had not done for a long time.

She sang.

But not just any song, she sang The Hanging Tree.

It was after that she opened her palms to reveal Nightlock berries.

Before putting them in mouth, she whispered to the graves, "Tick tock."

It would only be a matter of time before the three of them would reunite once again, after all.

So the Mockingjay swallowed the berries, and this time she didn't have the voice of Claudius Templesmith to stop her.

And when her heart stopped beating under the setting sun, she had a smile on her face.

Some say that sometimes, when it's sunset, you can hear the mockingjays sing the last verse of The Hanging Tree.

'_Are you, are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me._

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.'_


End file.
